PWHL Vancouver Signs First Round Pick Michelle Karvinen
Published on October 6, 2025 under Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL)
Vancouver News Release
VANCOUVER - PWHL Vancouver announced today that forward Michelle Karvinen has been signed to a one-year Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) Standard Player Agreement for the 2025-26 season. Karvinen was selected by Vancouver in the first round, seventh overall, in the 2025 PWHL Draft.
"Michelle is a proven winner and hockey veteran with a wealth of experience, and we are excited to welcome a player of her calibre to PWHL Vancouver," said PWHL Vancouver General Manager Cara Gardner Morey. "Her leadership on and off the ice is going to be immensely important to the success of our team this season."
The 35-year-old from Rødovre, Denmark is a four-time Olympian who made her Olympic debut in Vancouver in 2010, winning her first of three Olympic bronze medals with the Finnish national team. Karvinen has won eight medals (1 silver, 7 bronze) through 12 IIHF Women's World Championship appearances and became Finland's all-time leading scorer at the World Championships with 62 points (24G, 38A) while captaining the team in April.
The former University of North Dakota captain has won championship titles in Finland's Auroraliiga with the Espoo Blues (2007-08, 2008-09), Switzerland's SWHL with Ladies Team Lugano (2020-21) and Russia's ZhHL with KRS Vanke Rays (2021-22). She has also won four championship titles in Sweden's SDHL, three with Luleå HF (2015-16, 2017-18, 2018-19) and most recently in 2024-25 with Frölunda HC, where she tallied 35 points (21G, 14A) in 32 games and added 12 points (5G, 7A) in 11 playoff games.
"Joining Vancouver is like a full circle moment," said Karvinen. "Vancouver, you made my Olympic dream come true at the 2010 Olympics. Today you have once again made a dream come true. As a little hockey girl, I could only dream of this moment, to be a professional hockey player and to play in a professional women's hockey league. I feel very honoured to join the Vancouver and British Columbia community, to be part of raising the women's hockey bar even higher, and to be part of PWHL Vancouver from the very first puck drop."
Karvinen was the historic first of five players selected by PWHL Vancouver in the PWHL Draft and is the first from the team's entry draft class to sign. She joins a deep PWHL Vancouver forward group that includes Sarah Nurse, Jenn Gardiner, Hannah Miller, Michela Cava, Tereza Vanišová, Abby Boreen, Izzy Daniel, Denisa Křížová, Gabby Rosenthal and Brooke McQuigge.
PWHL Vancouver will officially hit the ice for its first-ever game on Friday, Nov. 21 against PWHL Seattle at Pacific Coliseum. Season Ticket Memberships for PWHL Vancouver's inaugural season are available via the PWHL Vancouver website. All teams will offer pre-built partial ticket packages on Oct. 7. Single Game Tickets will be available on Oct. 14. For the latest news and updates, fans can sign up for the official PWHL Vancouver newsletter.
Professional Women's Hockey League Stories from October 6, 2025
- Minnesota Frost Sign Forward Britta Curl-Salemme to a Two-Year Contract extension - Minnesota Frost
- PWHL Vancouver Signs First Round Pick Michelle Karvinen - Vancouver
- New Era for Women's World Championship - PWHL
- New York Sirens Sign Fourth Round Pick Dayle Ross - New York Sirens
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